


Enemies, Friends, and Lovers

by WhatDidIWrite



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-05-25 10:37:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6191761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatDidIWrite/pseuds/WhatDidIWrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Due to an unfortunate turn of Events Arthur Pendragon arrives for the school year only to discover that he has a roommate. He hates him on sight. So He does the only logical thing and tries to get rid of him.</p><p>xxxXxxx<br/>This story follows the journey of Merlin and Arthur as they go from enemies to friends to lover and all the enemies, friends and lovers in between. </p><p>xxxXxxx<br/>Unfinished and I don't know if it will ever be. 1st chapter has a beginning middle and end so you can read it as a complete story</p>
            </blockquote>





	Enemies, Friends, and Lovers

**Author's Note:**

> I started this fan fiction back in 2009 and finished the 1st chapter over 2 years ago. I have had hard drive crashes that deleted the first 13 pages, lots of homework and writers block galore. I don't know if I will ever finish this fic, but I'm hoping that by posting it, it will force me to work on it.

 

Arthur Pendragon was the proverbial prince of Camelot University.  He was the only son of the great Uther Pendragon owner of Stronghold Industries and member of the University’s school board.  Arthur was never quite sure what his father did for the school, except donate copious amounts of money, but he had become well accustomed the perks acquainted with his father’s influence.  One perk in particular, his own dorm room. Every year without fail Arthur would always make it into his dorm of choice with miraculously no roommate. Well, until now.

 

Arthur was returning from Soccer practice expecting to take a long shower and unwind in front of the TV for a few blessed hours of relaxation before his date that night. However, when he reached his dorm room door he found it ajar which was puzzling, because Arthur had made sure it was locked before he left that morning.  Upon opening the door, Arthur found his nice clean apartment style dorm room littered with cardboard boxes.

 

“What in the world” Arthur exclaimed loudly.

 

 “Oh you must be Arthur. I’m…” the thin boy that stood in the doorway of the second bedroom had stopped talking abruptly and Arthur knew exactly why.

 

xxxXxxx

 

_Earlier that day_

Every year at the first Soccer practice there is a certain amount of hazing for that year's rookies. It was nothing dangerous or to humiliating. It was mostly making them work extra hard with absolutely no sympathy or making them fetch equipment or buy everyone lunch or something. It was a _Knights_ tradition that even Arthur had not escaped from. Not that buying the entire team a steak dinner had really bit into his pockets but still.

 

This year it was making the rookie stand in front of the goal and try to stop ball after ball that was kicked at him by multiple members at a rapid pace that usually resulting in some rather amusing falls, and looks of shear panic. It was nothing too humiliating or at least Arthur had thought so. However, after a truly dreadful performance of one rookie in which Arthur had actually yelled at the boy, a pail dark haired fellow who was about as big around as a twig comes to the rookies aid.

 

“Hey, come on that’s enough.”

 

“What?” Arthur exclaimed in complete disbelief at being reprimanded by a complete stranger that came out of nowhere.

 

“This is going too far. The guy can’t even catch his breath.”

 

Arthur did notice the rookie breathing rather heavily and his blond hair wass dark with sweat, but Arthur would never admit that he was in the wrong. “What business is this of yours, anyway?”

 

“It's not, but...”

 

“Too right it's not.” The boy had lost his footing in the argument, and Arthur was not about to let him get it back. He kicked a ball at him.

 

“Hey” The boy exclaims as he barley doges the projectile. The next one hits him, however, and he began to stumble backwards. The rest of the team had caught on by then and were beginning to add their own balls to the mix. As the boy flees, he falls over a trash can to guffaws from Arthur and the rest of his team.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur was the first to recover his voice. “What are you doing in my dorm room?”

 

“I’m your roommate.” The boy replied.

 

“That’s ridiculous. I don’t have roommates.” Exclaimed Arthur.

 

“Well, according to this you do.” The boy shoved a piece of paper at Arthur.

 

It was a printout of a housing e-mail. It stated that a Merlin Emrys was to be housed in room 203 Castle Dorm. Roommate Arthur Pendragon.

 

“This has to be a mistake.” Arthur exclaimed. “I didn’t get an e-mail.”

 

“It was sent this morning.” The boy Merlin taped the timestamp. 9:10 am. Saturday.

 

Arthur pushed past Merlin, rushed to his laptop and confirmed that he did have new e-mail from housing and that it did state that he had a roommate named Merlin Emrys.

 

“but I don’t get roommates.” Arthur exclaimed in disbelief.

 

“I can see why.” Merlin was leaning on the door frame, arms crossed and a frown on his face.

 

“We go to the housing office first thing Monday morning.” Arthur demanded in a low seething tone.

 

“Fine by me.” Merlin said before he turned and disappeared into his room.

 

Arthur flopped back onto his bed and let out a sigh. His day had been going so well and now he was saddled with a lanky clumsy idiot. As if on cue Arthur heard a loud thump and ouch from the other room. Arthur let out another sigh and decided to get ready for his date. He grabbed his towel and went to take a long relaxing shower.

 

The warm relaxing water just melted into Arthur. It eased his aching muscles and his worries away. Arthur loved his showers. They made everything clean and gave him the feeling of a fresh start. He knew that once he got out his day would be so much better.  Then he heard someone banging on the door.

 

“What the….” Arthur yelled as he wrenched open the bathroom door, but he didn’t get to finish the sentence because Merlin slipped past him, stood in front of the toilet hand on his zipper.

 

“Uh, do you mind” Asked Merlin in an annoyed tone.

 

Arthur stormed out of the bathroom and slammed the door shut.  Arthur waited outside the bathroom for Merlin to finish. When Merlin opened the door, Arthur started in on him.

 

“What’s the big idea barging in on my shower?” Arthur practically yelled at him.

 

“I had to pee.” Merlin replied in the annoyed tone that was really starting to bug Arthur.

 

“Couldn’t you have held it?”

 

“I did” Merlin yelled. “For forty – five freaken minuets.”  He then stormed past Arthur. “and put some damn clothes on.”

 

Arthur looked at the clock on the wall and realized that he had been in the shower for almost two hours. His next thought was not that he should apologize to Merlin for hogging the bathroom, but that he needed to get ready or he might be late meeting Sophia.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthurs date was going great. They went to a funny movie and had a delicious dinner at one of Arthur’s favorite restaurants. They talked and laughed for hours. When Arthur made it back to his dorm room it was empty. Arthur had missed Sophia over the break. He had missed touching her and the taste of her soft red lips. The feel of her creamy skin and soft curly red hair. Things were heating up and Arthur was about to make the move to the bedroom when who should come barging in and ruin the moment, but Merlin.

 

Sophia sprang from Arthurs lap as Merlin turned the lights on.

 

“Um Hi” Merlin said sheepishly.

 

“Really, Merlin?”  Arthur exclaimed frustratedly, as he glared up at Merlin.

 

“I’ll see you later Arthur.” Sophia got up and kissed Arthur on the cheek and said a quick goodbye to Merlin as she passed him.

 

Arthur noticed Merlin staring after Sophia with a puzzled look on his face.

 

“Who was that?” Merlin asked as he turned his gaze back to Arthur.

 

“Sophia Tiamore, my girlfriend, so hands off.” Arthur warned. He had not liked the way Merlin’s eyes had fallowed Sophia.

 

Merlin’s eyebrows rose and he replied “no problem.” He then crossed the room and disappeared behind his bedroom door.

 

Arthur groaned in frustration. Having a roommate sure disrupted his plans. He glanced at his watch. It was only half past nine. Arthur refused to spend his last Saturday before classes in his dorm room with Merlin.  He scrolled through his phones contact list and clicked on Leon’s number.

 

When Leon answered, Arthur could barely hear him over the background noise.

 

“Hi Arthur, thought you were with Sophia”

 

“Change of plans, where are you?”

 

“Some of the team are at the Tavern.” Leon had named one of the local bars and a favorite hangout for the Soccer Team.

 

“Sounds like fun. I’ll be there in twenty.” He hung up the phone and grabbed his keys.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur really didn’t have to worry about Merlin stealing Sophia. Merlin hadn’t been sure at first, but he would swear that he had seen Sophia making out with a brunet that morning. If Arthur wasn’t such a prat, Merlin would have said something, but the more time he spent in Arthurs presence the more he believed Arthur deserved what was coming to him.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur sat bolt upright when he heard the resounding crash. He then held his head and tried not to be sick. Arthur usually didn’t get hangovers, but it would be a miracle if he didn’t have one after last night. When he had got back from the bar it was almost three. He looked at his alarm clock now; it was 7:53 a.m.

 

“What the Hell?” Arthur groaned again. Why did everything have to be so loud? Just then he heard another crash.

 

All Arthur wanted to do was go back to bed and try to sleep the pain away, but fear for what that idiot was doing to his dorm made him drag himself out of bed. He wrenched open the door meaning to yell at Merlin, instead he gave a start of surprise and shielded his eyes from the blaring light.

 

“Sorry, Arthur. I’m running late.” Merlin said in hasty apology.

 

And before Arthur could get a word in Merlin was out the door.

_That’s it._ Arthur thought as he made his way back to bed. _The boy has got to go._

 

xxxXxxx

 

When Arthur finally woke up some time after one, Merlin was still not back from wherever he had disappeared to that morning, which Arthur was rather pleased by.  He really hated the boy and the mess he had made of his dorm room. Not that Arthur was the neatest bloke, but at least he didn’t leave knocked over furniture everywhere.

 

After Arthur showered and ate he called Sophia, so they could continue were they left off the night before. The phone went straight to voice mail. He frowned at the phone. It was always on. _Perhaps the battery died._ He decided and after righting the coffee table Merlin had knocked over earlier, he sat down on the couch and grabbed the remote. Arthur was going to spend his afternoon doing absolutely nothing and loving it.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur woke early on Monday morning so that he and Merlin could be at the housing office when it opened at 8am. Merlin however did not. At half past 7 Arthur stormed into Merlin’s room and shook him roughly awake.

 

“Get up Idiot. “

 

Merlin blinked at him

 

“Get dressed. We have to go to the housing department, and get this roommate situation sorted out.” Arthur let go of Merlin and stormed out of the room.

 

In true Merlin fashion, he stumbled out of his bed through on some jeans and a random t-shirt and rushed out of his bedroom nearly falling over his own feet.

 

“Well come on.” Said Arthur impatiently.

 

Merlin grumbled under his breath as he fallowed Arthur out of the dorm, across campus, and to the housing office.

 

xxxXxxx

 

“What do you mean there are no rooms available?” Arthur demanded of the woman sitting behind the desk at the housing office. “There has to be a room somewhere.”

 

“I’m sorry Mr. Pendragon, but there aren’t, and believe me we looked very hard to find one when Mr. Emrys’ got accepted.“ The woman said in a polite, but strained voice.

 

“But I am not even supposed to have a roommate.” Arthur said for the umpteenth time that morning. The first time pointing at his original housing e-mail.

 

“The only thing I can do is put Mr. Emrys on the top of the room change request list and wait for another student to place a request or drop out. It may take a few weeks.”

 

“Fine.” Arthur said finally admitting defeat and walking out of the office leaving Merlin to fill out the request form.

 

xxxXxxx

 

After filling out the room transfer request, Merlin called Gwen. He knew she didn't have an early class that morning, but she would probably be up.  She was a notorious early riser.

 

"Hello. This is Gwen's phone." a voice that was most certainly not Gwen's answered the phone.

 

"Um, Hi, Is Gwen there?" Merlin asked tentatively.

 

"She's getting the coffee. Oh, wait here she is."

 

"Hello." Gwen's homely voice came over the line.

 

"Oh, Hi Gwen, its Merlin."

 

"Oh, Merlin. What's up?"

 

"I was just wondering if you wanted to do something before class, but if you are already doing something with the person who picked up. I wouldn't want to intrude."

 

"No, that sounds great. Morgana and I are just having a coffee at the campus cafe. You should join us. I'll give you directions."

 

"You'll have to get me there from the housing offices."

 

"Why would you be there? Is everything okay?" Gwen sounded worried.

 

"I'll explain when I get there. Now about getting there."

 

xxxXxxx

 

When Merlin arrived at the coffee shop. He was waved down, to a small circular iron table by a smiling Gwen.  Sitting across from Gwen was a pail beauty with dark wavy hair that cascaded down her back. If Merlin was straight he had no doubt that one look at the woman, that must be Morgana, and he would have fallen head over heels. A thought confirmed by the many males in the shop that were unable to take their eyes off of her. The girls they were with were also staring, but their eyes were dripping with jealousy.

 

"Sit Merlin I got you a Hot Chocolate." Said Gwen in her smiling voice as she waved Merlin over to the table.

 

Morgana looked up and smiled at him as he sat down.

 

"Thanks Gwen. How much do I owe you?" Asked Merlin as he reached for his wallet.

 

"Don't worry about it. It's on me." Said Gwen. "Now why were you at the housing office this morning?"

 

"Had to fill out a room transfer request." replied Merlin.

 

"Is something wrong with your roommate?" asked Morgana with general concern in her voice.

 

"He's a complete prat, that can't bear to share a room with anyone, even though he has his own bedroom."

 

"Oh that's awful." Said Gwen sympathetically.

 

"To be honest it may just be me." Said Merlin as he took a sip of his coco. It was absolutely delicious.

 

"What do you mean? You don't seem too un-agreeable."   Morgana gave a smile of reassurance and every guy in the place glared at Merlin.

 

"We really didn't get off to the best start."

 

"How so?" asked Gwen

 

"We first met when I tried to stop Arthur harassing a player on the soccer team, and then he started kicking soccer balls at me. The rest of the team joined in too."

 

Gwen sat up straighter, a look of alarm on her face. "Your roommate isn't Arthur Pendragon, is it?"

 

"Yeah. How did you know?" inquired Merlin.

 

"Arthur Pendragon is the only 'Arthur' on the Soccer team." Gwen answered.

 

"Well at least we know that you aren't the problem." Said Morgana as she took a sip of her coffee.

 

"Do you know Arthur?" Merlin asked with a sneaking suspicion that Morgana did indeed know Arthur.

 

 "He's my brother." Morgana said and took another a sip of her coffee.

 

Merlin gagged on his sip of hot chocolate. "What?" He asked as he gasped for breath in-between coughs.

 

Morgana and Gwen patted him on the back with equal concern. Merlin waved them off as soon as he stopped coughing.  

 

"Sorry, I didn't know." Merlin apologized.

 

"No you are quite right. Arthur can be a prat." Assured Morgana.

 

After a rather lengthy conversation. Merlin learned that Morgana was not in fact Arthur's sister but the daughter of Arthur's father's first wife. Apparently Uther Pendragon had been married to Morgana's mother when he met Arthur's mother and then divorced his first wife who had also fallen in love with another. They married their new sweethearts and stayed on relatively good terms over the years and when Morgana's parents had been killed in a car crash, Uther adopted her making her Arthur's sister for almost a decade.

 

xxxXxxx

_Noon, in the Cafeteria_

 

Arthur slumped into a chair at his friends table and gave an exasperated sigh as his thoughts returned his roommate problems.

 

“What’s wrong Arthur?” Leon, a fellow Soccer player, asked. “Was class that boring?”

 

“No, it’s my roommate.” Arthur said with another sigh.

 

“But you never get roommates.” Said Owen, another teammate, as he joined the table with a plate staked full of food.

 

“He can’t be as bad as my freshman roommate.” Remarked Kay, yet another Soccer player. “He wore black head to toe, eyeliner and was always looking at me like a fresh slab of meat. It was downright creepy.” Kay gave an involuntary shiver.

 

“I thought you and Ben were roommates freshmen year.” Arthur distinctly remembered Kay always leaving his key and having to call Ben to let him in.

 

“He moved in midway through the first semester. When I got rid of my roommate.” Clarified Ben.

 

Arthur's ears perked at that. “How did you get him to move out?” Arthur asked in hopes that the same tactic would work on Merlin.

 

“Oh nothing, just had really loud sex almost every night till the prude finally left.” The whole table erupted in laughter at Ben’s reply.

 

Arthur didn’t know if Sophia would be up for that kind of show but perhaps he could come up with other ways to annoy Merlin into moving out. When he returned to his room he opened his laptop and typed “how to get rid of roommates“ into the Google search bar.

 

Some of the suggestions were downright ridiculous, there was no way Arthur was going to have conversations with a potted plant, but some ideas weren’t completely insane. Arthur began making a list.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur woke up early the next morning to see how his first prank had turned out. The suggestion was to put salt or vinegar into the roommate's toothpaste. Arthur had added both.

 

He saw Merlin enter the bathroom, put the toothpaste onto his brush and start to brush his teeth. He brushed and rinsed without incident.  Arthur was disappointed. He had been expecting to see Merlin flip out. He was sure he had done the prank right, but just to be sure he waited till Merlin left the bathroom, and then entered and put a small dab of toothpaste on his finger and stuck it into his mouth and gagged.  The stuff tasted awful.  He quickly filled a cup with water and rinsed his mouth out as fast as he could.

 

Arthur leaned over the sink breathing heavily and staring in disbelief at the oblivious Merlin’s direction, wondering what the hell was wrong with the boy's taste buds. He then processed to brush his own teeth with regular toothpaste to remove the last remnants of the failed prank. This might be harder than he had thought.

 

xxxXxxx

 

When Arthur got home early from his night class Merlin wasn’t there. He must have a late class as well. This gave Arthur a brilliant idea. He not only dead bolted the door but put the chain on the door. He turned off the lights and retires to his room. Merlin would never be able to get in. Arthur smiled to himself as he closed his bedroom door.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Merlin returned late from his evening class, he had gotten a little lost on the way home and had to call Gwen for directions. He was very lucky that his battery had held out long enough for him to find the dorm. He really needed to charge it when he got into his room.

 

Merlin turned the key in the lock and tried to enter. He couldn’t, so he turned it further and heard the dead bolt release. He sighed with relief as the door started to swing inward.  That was shortly followed by Merlin stamping his foot and making a sound of frustration as he realized the chain was on and the door would only open a few inches.

 

“Arthur, hey Arthur let me in.” Merlin pleaded through door.

 

No reply.  Merlin called out again, but there was again no reply. _This is ridicules_ He thought as he tried to maneuver his skinny arm through the small gap the chain allowed him into the room. He could almost wiggle the chain off. He was so close.  Merlin almost had it. He just needed like a centimeter more but the door was already squeezing his bicep painfully. After over half an hour later Merlin admitted defeat and reached for his phone hoping beyond all hope that there was enough battery left to call Gwen and ask her if he could crash at her dorm for the night. However the universe was not with him and his battery was dead. He remembered Gwen’s room number but not how to get to her dorm and he was not about to go wondering all over campus in the middle of the night especially since he had already gotten lost once that night. There was nothing for it. Merlin curled up in front of the door using his bag as a pillow and thanked God that he had finished his homework for the next day and had worn his jacket. At least he wouldn’t freeze tonight, not that it was that cold. He finally fell into an uncomfortable sleep.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur woke up the next morning in a bit of a daze. He wasn’t really used to waking up early yet. Still he was smug about his prank going as planed the night before. He had heard Merlin yelling for him to let him in. Arthur smiled as he unlatched the chain and wondered where the idiot had spent the night. The answer came when Arthur’s foot connected with something and sent him almost face first into the opposite wall.

 

“WHAT THE HELL!” Arthur exclaimed.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Merlin gasped for breath. Something had hit him in the ribs and knocked the wind out of him, waking him from sleep and back to an unpleasant reality. He was still a little disoriented when he heard someone yell “WHAT THE HELL!”

 

Merlin rolled over onto his back still a bit dazed and spotted Arthur in the dim morning light.

 

“What are you doing there?” Arthur demanded of Merlin.

 

“You locked me out.” Merlin answered still gasping.

 

“Oh” was Arthurs only reply as he turned and left Merlin still lying on the ground.

 

Merlin glared at Arthur until he turned the corner and left his sight. Arthur had locked him out all night and tripped over him and all the prat could say was “oh.”  Merlin was in angered disbelief as he got up to get a few hours sleep before his class. As he was doing so he felt his left side give a twinge of pain. He lifted his shirt up and could see a bruise starting to form over his ribs.

 

xxxXxxx

 

When Merlin got back from his classes all he wanted to do was collapse into bed and get some sleep, but he thought he should do some unpacking instead. He had put off unpacking incase he got reassigned to a new room. That could very well still happen but as the lady at the housing office had said it would take a few weeks and Merlin didn’t want to live out of his suitcase for that long.

 

It took over two hours to get almost everything unpacked. Now all that was left was to clean up all the cardboard boxes and other messes made during the unpacking process. Merlin sighed as he stared at the mess wishing it would just disappear.

 

He made to walk over to a pile of containers when he slipped on a cardboard box and fell backward. Luckily Merlin landed on his bed. The bed felt so comforting and Merlin was so tired after last night. Merlin drifted off into a long needed sleep.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur arrived home late that night. After classes he and a few friends had gone out for dinner. Arthur wanted to celebrate the success of his prank and everyone else just wanted to go out and get some enjoyment after the first two days of classes. None were really ready for the summer to end.

 

When Arthur opened the door he was greeted with a mess of a dorm room. There were empty boxes everywhere. Mostly in front of Merlin’s open bedroom door. The boy had obviously been unpacking his things. Arthur hadn’t minded the mess when he had found the same at Leon’s place or when he himself had made a similar mess unpacking, but this was Merlin.

 

Arthur walked over to Merlin’s room wondering if he was even home. The idiot usually made a racket when in the dorm.  Arthur was presented with Merlin curled up on top of his bed sleeping peacefully and slightly drooling on his pillow. He looked positively serene.  That simply wouldn’t do, thought Arthur and his lips curled into a sly smile as he thought of just what to do to annoy the slumbering Merlin.

 

“HEY, GET UP AND CLEAN UP THIS MESS!” Arthur shouted at practically full bellow.

 

Merlin jumped about a foot in the air and gave a terrified squeak.  

 

Arthur struggled not to burst out laughing and maintain his angry glare, but it was a near thing after that hilarious display.

 

“You had better clean this mess up.” Arthur demanded of Merlin and then turned and walked to his room closing the door behind him.

 

He fell onto his bed and laughed into his pillow. He was being to like this annoying Merlin business.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Merlin was in wonderland. He was resting against a tree by a beautiful clear lake with the sun warm on his pale skin.  He was eating the most decadent strawberries he had ever tasted. He reached for another when he saw a finely muscled arm with a golden tan plucking a strawberry from the pile next to Merlin. Merlin fallowed the arm upward and closed his eyes as it dropped the strawberry into his mouth.  It was sweet and succulent and amazingly tasty.  It was then replaced with something even tastier as a pair of soft lips met his own. Merlin reached his hands up and tangled them in silky locks of hair. It was heaven, yet, all good things must come to an end and the stranger began to pull away. Merlin opened his eyes and saw the silhouette against the blinding sun. Merlin wanted to see this mystery man’s face and as his eyes began to adjust to the bright light and the person in front of him began to take shape, he was abruptly awoken by a loud yell of “HEY, GET UP AND CLEAN UP THIS MESS!”

 

Merlin leaped about a foot in the air in utter shock about what just happened. One minute he had been in the lap of luxury with a fantastic man and the next he was staring wide eyed at a glaring prat.

 

“You had better clean this mess up.” The blond demanded and before Merlin could respond he had stormed out of Merlin’s view.

 

Merlin heard the door to Arthurs room close and let out a sigh of frustration. He knew that he was in the wrong about the mess but he was so pissed off with Arthur. First he had locked him out, then Arthur had kicked him awake and didn’t even apologize for either, and now he had awoken Merlin out of his most fantastic dream ever, before he got to see his mystery lover. At this moment in time he just wanted to hate the prat.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur pulled nothing on Wednesday or Thursday morning. He was going to try Ben’s method of roommate removal. He had decided on Thursday because he knew that Merlin would be in the room that night.

 

Arthur finished his homework well in advance and went to pick up Sophia. Arthur hadn’t been sure that Sophia would agree, however, she had no problem with Arthurs plan. So at 10 they stumbled kissing into Arthur's dorm.

 

Merlin was on the couch going back and forth between his notebook and his textbook. Arthur maneuvered Sophia and himself onto the couch and continued their intense and overly vocal make-out session.  Arthur could feel Merlin squirm on his right and begin to inch away from him. Arthur followed him, trying very hard to increase Merlin’s discomfort. 

 

xxxXxxx

 

Merlin had been ecstatic when Arthur had gone out on his date with Sophia. He had had the dorm to himself.  He had watched TV and settled down to get a jump on his homework. It was fantastic. Now, however, that he was on the edge of the couch with a snogging couple inching closer to him, he wished Arthur had stayed in.

 

Eventually there was no couch left and Merlin gathered his books and retreated into his room in hopes of escaping the nauseating couple. That was short lived, however. Not twenty minutes after Merlin retired to his room, Arthur and Sophia moved their activities into Arthur’s room **next** door. 

 

Merlin plugged his headphones in and turned his iPod on.  No sound came out. Merlin looked at the battery life, over half full. He frowned and turned the headphone jack in its port. A statically sound of music came through the headphones as he twisted. He over twisted the jack and lost the sound. He twisted back and tried to find the sound again. This reminded Merlin of when he was young and playing with his mother's old radio except for the moaning and banging in the background.

 

After a few fruitless minuets messing with the iPod Merlin gave up and tried the headphones in his laptop; Again no sound. Merlin made one more effort for some sound to drown out the sex sounds coming through the thin wall. He unplugged the headphones and turned the speakers all the way up. The volume that spurted out of Merlin’s second hand computer was pitifully weak and held no comparison with Sophia’s screams of pleasure and the pounding going on in Arthur's room. The adjoining wall was actually shaking so hard that one of the push pins holding up one of Merlin's posters came out of the wall.

 

There was no way he was going to get any work done at this rate and the speakers weren’t doing any good so he turned off his computer and plopped into bed. He grabbed the pillow and held it tight over his ears, praying that they would finish soon. This was not only annoying but listening to Arthurs moans were actually making him hard, which simply was not acceptable.

 

Merlin breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Arthur climax. It was finally over. He had to admit that Arthur could go the mile and Sophia was obviously pleased, but he was such a massive selfish prat that he wondered how anyone could stand it.  Then again he was pretty sure that Sophia was cheating on Arthur.

 

At least it was over he thought and curled into his pillow and drifted off into a pleasant sleep.

 

He was by the lake again just staring out at the glistening water. It was wonderful. Nothing could be better than this and then a pair of strong arms wrap around his waist and he is suddenly sitting in the lap of his mystery man. Merlin leans his head back to see his face when BANG.

 

Merlin awoke with a start. His wall was shaking again. He looked at his watch, 12:17 am and they were at it again. Merlin put his pillow over his head and groaned. This was just ridiculous.

 

Throughout the night Merlin was awoken two more times to the loud screams and banging of his wall.

 

xxxXxxx

 

When Merlin disappeared behind his bedroom door, Arthur decided to move things to his own room.

 

The sex was louder, rougher and more intense then Arthur had ever had and he refused to admit that it was because he knew Merlin was listening on the other side of the wall.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur was very tired when he woke up the next morning. So tired, that he didn't think to put on any clothes before trying to go to the bathroom. When he opened the door to his room Merlin was walking to the kitchen.

 

"For Christ sake, put some clothes on." Merlin demanded.

 

Arthur quickly closed the door and grabbed the first pair of underwear and pants he could find. Then he opened the door. Merlin was in the Kitchen drinking a glass of milk. Arthur watched as some of it dripped from his mouth down to his chin.

 

"Sorry about that." Arthur said as he started toward the bathroom.

 

"About what, walking around naked or last night." Merlin said, his voice full of annoyance.

 

Arthur gave an involuntary blush. "I guess we were a bit loud."

 

"A bit." Merlin said sarcastically. "Next time, how about finding somewhere else."

 

"Hey wait a minute." Arthur said angrily. "This is my dorm room."

 

"It's also mine, for the time being and I don' like being woken up by someone screaming "Fuck Me harder, Arthur" at 3 in the morning."  Merlin grabbed his bag and was out the door before Arthur could say another word.

 

xxxXxxx

 

The next two weeks passed with Arthur locking Merlin out five times, the last two of which Merlin had managed to get his boney arm through the crack and slide the chain off and get in. Arthur had Sophia over twice more to fornicate all night long. Arthur tried to eat Merlin's food but all the boy ate was ramen, which Arthur couldn't stand. Arthur moved Merlin's stuff several times with mixed results, half the time Merlin didn't notice or spent an hour looking for items. Arthur kept unplugging Merlin's phone charger. Arthur even expanded his pranking to outside the dorm room and involved his teammates.

 

Ben and Kay's dorm window was right above the walkway that Merlin took twice a week to his class. they dumped a bucket of water on him the first time and then through water balloons at him for about a week before he worked out an alternate route.

 

The latest prank involved having Garret, a rookie on the team, to "accidentally" trip and dump his lunch tray all over Merlin in the cafeteria. It was rather hilarious. After several minutes spent laughing with the team, Arthur got up to go to the restroom.  When he entered the restroom he heard Merlin's distinct voice talking to someone. Arthur peered around the corner and saw Merlin at the sinks trying to wash a pudding cup out of his hair, while talking on the cell phone.

 

"No I don't think he did it on purpose."  Said Merlin to the person on the other line.

 

"Well because he kept saying sorry over and over and besides I did the same thing in high school, to my best friend."

 

Arthur had to stifle a laugh at that. he could certainly picture Merlin tripping and dumping food all over someone, he was just that clumsy.

 

"No Morgana, I don't think Arthur had anything to do with it. He wasn't even there."

 

Arthur froze where he stood, a cold shiver of fear running down his back. Merlin couldn't be talking to his Morgana. If she was on to him, he could be in for some real trouble. Yet, this was Merlin and the chances that he had met much less befriended Morgana were far farfetched and Arthur gave a sigh of relief.

 

"I know Arthur is your brother and you know him best but I still think it's a little farfetched to think that Arthur had a hand in this."

 

Well that small dream of Arthur's was dead.

 

"Look Morgana I've got to go and get some homework done. Give my love to Gwen, bye."

 

Arthur quickly dashed out of the bathroom before Merlin saw him.  His plans needed some definite rethinking and who better to bounce ideas off of than his oldest friend Leon.  Arthur headed off to the woodshop where Leon work studied.

 

xxxXxxx

 

"I have no idea how that idiot met much less befriended Morgana." said Arthur.

 

"Maybe they have a class together." Suggested Leon.

 

"That could be it." said Arthur with a sigh. "All I know is that I am definitely going to have to rethink a few of my ideas."

 

"Like messing with his scholarship." Suggested Leon, who had never been a fan of that idea.

 

Arthur didn't get to answer because both he and Leon turned to the source of a loud screeching sound of a ban saw being obviously misused.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Music Major Helena was working on a project for an Art class that involved the ban saw. Unfortunately the blade needed to be changed, and any experienced student would have gotten a shop assistant to change it, but she just pushed her wood through, and the blade snapped.

 

xxxXxxx

 

It was like a movie. Everything just slowed down, and all Arthur could see was a blade spinning in mid air coming straight for him. The next thing he knew he was on the ground, and that spinning blade of doom was sticking out of the wall wobbling.

 

Just then the world sped up again, and Leon was kneeling beside him asking if he was okay.

 

"Yeah, I'm fine." said Arthur as he did a mental check of his body.

 

"Are you alright." Asked Leon again.

 

Arthur was about to answer again, when he realized that Leon wasn't talking to him but over him to Merlin of all people.

 

Merlin was lying next to Arthur on the ground, with one arm over him. As Merlin was about to answer Leon grabbed his arm, and said "You're bleeding."

 

Both Merlin and Arthur looked at his arm and saw the blood dripping out of a thin cut on his left arm.

 

Astonishment hit Arthur as he realized that Merlin had saved his life.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Merlin had walked into the wood shop to work on his art project when he overheard Arthur's conversation. He was overtaken by rage as he heard Leon's comment about Arthur messing with his scholarship. Merlin had been going to punch Arthur when he tripped over his own feet, and inadvertently saved Arthur's life. Not that he was going to say anything now with all the people flustering around him, Helena sobbing her apologies, and Arthur even said thank you.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur barely got his thank you in before Helena rushed over and started sobbing and apologizing. Then Leon whisked Merlin away to fill out an injury report while another assistant used the first aid kit to clean and band-aid his arm.

 

Arthur just watched in complete wonder as to why Merlin would even try to save him after everything he had done to the boy. It was baffling. the boy was either oblivious to what had been happening or he was very forgiving. Either way, Arthur felt obligated to do more than just say thank you. So that evening Arthur bought dinner from one of his favorite restaurants and had it delivered to his dorm.

 

Arthur wasn't very familiar with thanking people for saving his life, but he thought that dinner might be a good place to start. Merlin after all was painfully thin and could probably use a good meal.

 

xxxXxxx

 

When Merlin got home that night Arthur asked if he wanted some dinner.

 

"um, sure." said Merlin skeptically. Arthur wasn't usually that nice to him.

 

"Sophia canceled on me and I can't eat all of this." Arthur lied. As mentioned before Arthur wasn't very good at thank yous.

 

"Oh." Merlin said as he took his seat.  

 

Arthur put food onto his plate. He didn't really know what to say to Merlin. Every interaction with the boy had been a hostile one and it lead Arthur to wonder yet again why Merlin had helped him. For the first time since Merlin sat down, Arthur looked at him. Arthur paused with his fork halfway to his mouth.

 

Merlin's plate was piled high with food and he was shoveling it into his mouth. Arthur watched in amazement as Merlin cleared his massive plate and filled it again. The boy was skin and bones and he was eating like a horse. Arthur had to wonder where the boy put it all.

 

"Are you finished?" Merlin asked Arthur.

 

"What?" Arthur asked, startled out of his thoughts.

 

"Are you done with your plate?" Merlin gestured toward Arthurs half eaten dinner.

 

Arthur looked down at his plate and then realized that the rest of the food on the table had mysteriously disappeared. "um, no. I'm still working on it." Arthur finally replied.

 

"Let me know when you finish." Merlin said as he got up from the table, his plate in hand. "I'll do the dishes since you bought the food."

 

Arthur took another bite of food suppressed to find that it was still a little warm. That meant that Skinny Merlin had eaten the rest before his dinner even got cold. He looked up at Merlin in the kitchen.  Merlin turned the faucets on, and switched it to sprayer. Then he aimed the hose at his all but licked clean plate. the water bounced off the plate at splashed all over Merlin. He let go of the sprayer with a yell of surprise. The sprayer seemed to take on a life of its own. The thing was spraying water everywhere, especially at Merlin who was trying to grab it.  Eventually Merlin just turned off the water but not before he was completely drenched.

 

During this whole ordeal Arthur was trying not to laugh. When it was finally over Merlin just stood over the sink and then just started laughing. That broke Arthurs resolve and he stared laughing uncontrollably. After several minuets Arthur looked up at Merlin and was met with a big goofy smile.

 

"We'll that was fun." Said Merlin.

 

Arthur had to admit to himself that Merlin was right. This had been fun.

 

"God, I am soaked." Said Merlin as he looked down at his t-shirt which was dripping wet and plastered to his chest.

 

Merlin walked out off kitchen taking his t-shirt off at the same time. Arthur watched him thinking that this was a great feat considering Merlin's usual clumsiness. It was then that Arthur noticed the fading bruise on Merlin's ribs.

 

"What happened here?" Arthur asked as he moved over to Merlin and ran his fingers over the bruise.

 

Merlin looked down at the slightly yellowed patch if skin. "Oh, um, that was from when you kicked me."

 

"What?"Arthur looked up at him shocked because he was sure he had never physically hurt the boy, and a little angry that Merlin would accuse him of such a thing.

 

Merlin sensed the change in mood and saw the astonished look on Arthurs face. He understood know that Arthur had no idea what he was talking about.

 

"Remember when you locked me out the first time and tripped over me the next morning."

 

Arthur did remember. He realized that he hadn't even considered that he had hurt Merlin.

 

"I did this?" Arthur said still astonished and a little guilty as he ran his fingers over the fading bruise that covered Merlin's side.

 

Merlin heard the sadness in Arthurs tone, and quickly tried to reassure him he was fine. "It doesn't hurt any more. Guise gave me some salve and its fine."

 

"Gaius?" Arthur repeated surprised. He knew a Gaius. He had been the Pendragon Physician for years. First Morgana now Gaius. How did Merlin know so many people in his life? But maybe it wasn't his Gaius.

 

"Yeah, he is my Uncle and the school's new physician. He helped to get me my scholarship so I could go here, and I do work study in the clinic." Merlin explained as he moved into his room to get another shirt.

 

Arthur was confused. His Gaius did sometimes help in the school's clinic but "He's far too old to be your Uncle." Arthur said to Merlin.

 

"Well he is actually my mom's cousin or something. I'm not really sure how they are related but I always called him Uncle Gaius." Merlin said finally emerging dry from his room. "He said to just call him Gaius when we are working together, though."

 

"Oh." responded Arthur still in astonishment at how many people close to Arthur were somehow friends with Merlin.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Over the next few days Arthur and Merlin started to get along rather well. Arthur ceased all pranking plans partly out of gratitude to Merlin for saving him and partly out of guilt for physically injuring the boy, and partly of fear of what Morgana would do.  Arthur was surprised that without the hostility between them the idiotic things Merlin did, didn't annoy him so much in fact he found it amusing.

 

Things were going so well that when Merlin was taking a short cut through a dorm when an all to familiar red head stepped out of a doorway.  A well toned arm caught her and a brunet stuck his head out and planted a steamy kiss right on Sophia's mouth. Merlin dashed behind a corner out of sight of Sophia and her lover. Merlin peaked his head around the corner and saw Sophia leaving. The man, who was most definitely not Arthur, was turning back into his dorm room. Merlin caught a glimpse of a tattoo of some kind on his chest.

 

Merlin waited for the brunet to re-enter his dorm room and close the door before he moved out from behind the corner. As he started walking, he kept looking around for Sophia. This situation had put Merlin into a rather sticky situation. A week ago Merlin wouldn't have cared if Sophia was cheating on Arthur.  He might have even been a little happy about it considering last week Arthur was a total prat, and completely awful to Merlin. However, since Merlin's heroic clumsiness, Arthur had actually been quite nice to Merlin. He had bought him dinner, they had watched TV together, and even talked a little. Merlin was actually beginning to like the prat.

 

Now that Merlin actually cared about Arthur he couldn't let him be deceived by Sophia especially if he really liked her.  Friends looked out for their friends. Yet, Merlin and Arthur were not really friends yet and going to Arthur about Sophia might ruin any chance of them actually becoming friends and Merlin's finally peaceful dorm life. This truly was a dilemma and Merlin really needed to talk it over with his friends, so after his class he called Gwen and Morgana for a little advice.

 

They were busy all that afternoon but invited Merlin to join them later for takeout at Gwen's.  They were halfway through the kung pow chicken when Merlin dropped the bomb on them.

 

"You are sure it was Sophia?" Morgana asked not accusingly but generally concerned.

 

"Yes."Merlin replied

 

"Do you remember the room number?" Morgan asked as she grabbed a notepad and looked around for a writing utensil. 

 

"Not really but I could narrow it down to a few if I retraced my steps." Merlin handed Morgana a pen. "But what does that have to do with how I tell Arthur?"

 

"We need proof before we go to Arthur. I'm not letting that little slut get away with this." Morgan answered as she took the offered pen and began to write "Mission: Expose The Cheating Slut" on the notepad.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Merlin retraced his steps the next day and narrowed the possible rooms down to either room 135, 145, or 147. Morgana, using all her connections and feminine charms had discovered the names and even acquired pictures of the residents.  One room was a female dorm leaving it down to four possible guys. One was Asian and the other two were blond, which only left Valiant Kenmore.  Merlin positively IDed him from his student ID photo which, he still didn't know how Morgana got a hold of.

 

It was a little scary at how quickly Morgana had got everything together. Merlin had only told her less than 48 hours ago and now she had names and photos and hired someone to spy on Sophia, and someone else to spy on the Valiant.

 

It was agreed that until we had solid proof on Sophia that no one would confront Arthur.  Several days later the team still didn't have any solid evidence on Sophia or Valiant. It was downright frustrating. Add alcohol, and enter a disaster. 

 

Arthur invited Merlin to join him and the team for a few celebratory drinks after the soccer game. Merlin should have known better, but he had just finished a long paper, and was on a high so he thought why not.

 

It should be known that Merlin is a complete and hopeless light weight, but Arthur didn't know this at the time. So in some respect neither can be held completely responsible for their mistakes that night. Arthur's mistake was not letting Merlin nurse his one beer and forcing him to take one of the team's famous shots. Merlin's mistake was much worse.

 

"Gods Merlin you are such a light weight." Arthur laughed as he helped to steady Merlin as they walked back to the dorm.

 

"Am not" Merlin all but slurred.

 

"A few shots and one beer and you can't even walk straight makes you a light weight. I had twice that much and am better off than you. "

 

"Yeah but your huge so," Burp "alcohol doesn't affect you that much."

 

"Merlin did you just call me fat."

 

Merlin just looked at him, confused at how he had come to that conclusion.

 

"I'll have you know that I am not fat. I'm all muscle." Arthur exclaimed defensively. "Your just skin and bones."

 

"That's- what I said." Merlin slurred but Arthur didn't notice.

 

"I am one of the most fit guys on campus. Just ask any girl, they all want to be with me." Arthur boasted and went on to boast all the way across campus, to the dorm, up the stairs and into the room until Merlin had finally had enough.

 

"Gods you are such a prat no wonder Sophia is cheating on you." he snapped because Arthur wouldn't let him just go to bed until be admitted that Arthur was not fat and it was all muscle.

 

They both froze as each began to comprehend what Merlin had just blurted out.  

 

"What" Arthur said, his voice etched with fury.

 

"Arthur, I'm sorry. I..." Merlin began to apologize but was silenced by Arthur's fist connecting with his face.

 

"Take it back you fucking liar." Arthur demanded as he loomed over him.

 

Merlin really wanted to take it back but he knew that sooner or later it would come out. Unfortunately Merlin's silence did nothing to improve Arthurs temper. He grabbed Merlin and shoved him up against a wall.

 

"Take it back, you lair." Arthur hissed.

 

"I'm sorry Arthur. I saw her with another guy." Merlin pleaded.

 

A complicated display of emotion crossed Arthurs face. There was disappointment and perhaps jealousy and most definitely fury. His anger, however, seemed to be aimed at Merlin rather than Sophia because he punched him in the stomach and physically tossed him out of the dorm and slammed the door behind him. Merlin heard the chain sliding into place.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Knowing he had royalty fucked up, Merlin called Gwen to inform her, and Morgana of his blunder and hoping that they could help him figure a way out of it or at least give him a place to sleep.

 

Gwen and Morgana were obviously a little angry and very disappointed in Merlin's slip up. A feeling that quickly evaporated upon seeing Merlin's face, which the left side of was turning a rather magnificent shade of purple.

 

"Oh my God, Merlin what happened to you?" Gwen exclaimed in horror.

 

"I told Arthur about Sophia." Merlin repeated the line from the phone call.

 

"I mean your face." Gwen said as she gently touched the bruise.

 

"I told Arthur about Sophia." Merlin repeated again, this time wincing at Gwen's touch.

 

"And he punched you." Morgana exclaimed in outrage, her anger no longer aimed at Merlin but at her idiot brother.

 

"He locked me out to." Merlin added, taking advantage of Morgana's switch of target and Gwen's sympathies. He needed a place to sleep.

 

"Well you are welcome to stay here." Gwen offered.

 

"I'll deal with Arthur." Morgana said as she reached for her coat and key. "I don't know what makes him think he can act...."

 

Morgana stopped mid outrage as she remembered what Merlin had said upon arrival. She turned very slowly to face Merlin and asked in a scarily calm voice "What exactly did you say to Arthur about Sophia?"

 

Merlin sat down on their couch and spent the next ten minutes reciting his conversation with Arthur to the best of his memory. He had been a bit buzzed at the time and Arthur had drowned on and on about himself for so long that Merlin had checked out a couple of times. He still was baffled as to how Arthur had come to the conclusion that Merlin called him fat. When he was done with his narration he felt very tired.

 

"Well, it wasn't what we hoped for," Morgana said with a sigh, "but we will make do."

 

"Everything will be alright." Gwen reassured Merlin as Morgana's phone rang.

 

Morgana left to answer her phone. Merlin groaned and lifted his palms to his eyes as he said: "I am such an idiot." Merlin winced as his palm connected with his black eye in a coincidental, yet, perfect example of his previous statement.

 

"I'll get you an ice bag for that." Gwen said getting up from her chair.

 

"And some hot coco?" Merlin asked with the touch of a pitiful whimper. He was milking the sympathy card for all he could get.

 

"Sure." Gwen said with a smile that was half sympathy and half knowing amusement.

 

Morgana scribbled an address on a piece of paper in the kitchen and hung up the phone as the microwave beeped.

 

"Who was it?" Gwen asked.

 

"The guy who was watching Valiant room finally got a photo of him having a very heated goodbye kiss with Sophia. If only we had it a little earlier." Morgana replied running a frustrated had through her hair.

 

"Merlin did try." Gwen said as she dropped a few little marshmallows into Merlin's hot coco.

 

"yeah, I know." Morgana said with a sigh. " I guess we get Merlin and meet the..."

 

Morgana stopped as she turned to Merlin and saw him curled into a little ball on the couch, sound asleep. He was just too cute to wake up, so Gwen put the ice pack and hot coco back on the counter and draped a blanket over the sleeping Merlin.

 

They then donned their coats, Gwen scribbled a quick note incase Merlin woke up while they were gone, and they left to get their evidence.

 

xxxXxxx

 

When Merlin woke up the next morning, he had an awful kink in his neck, his head was slightly pounding, and he trouble opening his left eye. For a moment he wondered at why, but then the events of the night before came flooding back to him and he let out a groan of disappointment.

 

"How are you feeling?" asked Gwen as she placed an ice bag on his eye and handed him some aspirin and water.

 

"Stupid." Merlin replied after downing the pills.

 

"I don't know if this is going to help?" Said Morgana handing him a manila envelope.

 

Inside was pictures of Sophia entering Valient’s room at 11 and leaving an hour later. It also seemed that as she left she gave him one steamy goodnight kiss with one of his hands down the back of her pants.

 

"When were these taken?" Merlin asked.

 

"Last night." Morgana answered.

 

"You mean that I only had to keep my mouth shut for one more fucking night?" Merlin said exasperatedly as he fell back on the couch, accidentally  hitting his head against the wall. "FUCK!"

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur was still fuming after he had physical thrown Merlin from the room. He pulled his phone out to call Sophia, not because he believed a word that Merlin had said but he just needed to hear her voice. His hands were shaking with fury so badly that he could not press the right buttons.  He took a few deep long breaths and counted to ten. Then, with slightly trembling hands, he finally  was able to call Sophia and for the second time in the past month, Arthur got Sophia's voice mail.

 

"It doesn't mean anything." Arthur reassured himself and called again. This time he left a short message asking if she wanted to meet sometime tomorrow and to call him.

 

She returned the call about twenty minutes later.

 

"Hey babe. everything okay." Sophia asked

 

"Yeah." Arthur said reassuring himself as much as Sophia. "your phone was off?"

 

"Oh, Yeah. my battery died. It's been doing that a lot lately. I think I need a new one." Sophia lied with ease.

 

"Do you want to come over?" Arthur asked tentatively.

 

"Its kinda late, but I could if you want."

 

"No, its fine but how about tomorrow."

 

"I have homework, but we could meet up for a nice lunch and I could come over if I finish early" Sophia finished seductively.

 

"Yeah that sounds great."Arthur relied finally at ease. "How dose noon outside the Red Lion sound?"

 

"Sounds great."

 

"See you then. bye"

 

"Bye"

 

Arthur fell back onto his bed, suddenly exhausted, and fell asleep.

 

He was awoken the next morning by a call from Morgana.

 

"What is it Morgana." Arthur groaned as he answered.

 

"I need to talk to you."

 

"We're doing that now?" Arthur said rather testily. He had a slit headache and was still rather sleepy.

 

"In person, as soon as possible."

 

"Fine." Arthur looked at his watch, which read 10: 39 am. "Shit"

 

"Everything okay?" Morgana asked

 

"Yeah, I have to meet Sophia at the Red lion at noon and I just saw the time."

 

"Arthur can you meet me before that. I really need to talk to you."

 

"Will it take long?" Arthur asked as he grabbed some clothes and headed to take a quick shower.

 

"Not really but..."

 

"Then I will meet you at the Red Lion at 11:30. Bye" Arthur hung up.

 

xxxXxxx

 

At 11:42 Arthur arrived at the Red Lion. He was scanning the outdoor tables and general area for Morgana when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and there was Morgana. He was about to greet her when he spotted her companions; Gwen and Merlin.

 

"What Is he doing here?" Arthur demanded glaring at Merlin

 

"Arthur you need to see this." Morgana pulled a manila envelope out of her bag.

 

"Why is he here." Arthur asked again this time louder.

 

"Arthur calm down and just look at this." Morgana said pulling a picture out of the envelop

 

"Why is he here?" Arthur said still louder.

 

"Calm down please. People are starting to stair." Gwen pleaded but Arthur didn't see them he only saw Merlin and then a picture was put in front of his face. He was about to swat it away when he saw what it was off.  It was Sophia, his Sophia, kissing a tall dark haired man. His hand was down her pants cupping her ass. Her hands were clutched his shirt.

 

"What is this?" Arthur asked, his brain and heart still trying to process the picture and all that it implied.

 

He wondered if it was a previous boyfriend when he saw the date and time stamp that said it was from last night. it was time stamped only a dozen minutes before she was on the phone with him, arranging their date.

 

"Arthur" Sophia greeted Arthur and then she saw the picture. "What is this?" She asked her wide eyes looking from Arthur to Morgana who was still holding the picture.

 

"This is a picture of you snogging the hell out of the guy you're cheating with." Morgana answered.

 

"Arthur do you believe this?" Sophia asked holding his face in front of hers.

 

Arthur did not reply, he was still in shock and part off him still couldn't believe.

 

Sophia must have seen this because she grabbed the picture from Morgana. "He kissed me out of nowhere. I tried to push him away but he held me close to him."

 

"I'll kill him." Arthur said angrily.  He held onto the emotion. It was an anchor for him as his world seemed to be shaken. It was so easy to believe her.

 

"Don't Arthur he didn't know I had a boyfriend. He was quite embarrassed after I set him straight." Sophia pleaded.

 

Morgana gave a snort of indignation at Sophia's words.

 

"You were in there over an hour." Morgana commented.

 

"We were working on a project for class." Sophia said to her.

 

Morgana gave another snort."You were seen kissing him before this picture."

 

"Lies. Arthur they are all lies. I would never do such a thing." Sophia held Arthurs face and stared deep into his eyes as she said in an all too sweet tone. "they are just trying to break us up."

 

"But" Merlin said completely shocked at how easily Sophia could lie and how easily Arthur was buying it. It was like he was trapped in some manipulative web.

 

Sophia turned and glared daggers at him. It was like her eyes were red with anger, Arthur's to.

 

"Shut Up Merlin." Arthur said and took Sophia's hand and they entered the Red Lion.

 

"That fucking bitch." Morgana exclaimed frustratedly as Sophia disappeared with Arthur into the restaurant. "I will not let her make a fool out of him. only I get to do that."

 

Merlin quirked an eyebrow at the last comment. He wondered if all siblings felt that way about each other or if they were unique. 

 

"What do we do now?" Merlin asked. He was not looking forward to living with Arthur.

 

xxxXxxx

 

An hour later Merlin, Gwen and Morgana were seated outside the campus cafe after just finishing their lunch. They had been discussing their new game plan. Morgana contacted the men hired to follow Sophia as well as the one watching Valiant's room. They had been instructed to call Morgana or Gwen instantly, if Sophia was seen in any uncontroversial cheating positions. The three had come to the conclusion that the only way to convince Arthur was to show him first hand unquestionable evidence. This meant catching Sophia in the act and getting Arthur there to see it. Luckily Morgana had just gotten off the phone with Arthur's friend Leon who had agreed to stick close to Arthur and when Morgana called to maneuver Arthur to the location.

 

With all the plotting and maneuvering planed and set in motion, the trio was finally beginning to relax and breath, when Sophia sat down at their table.

 

"What the hell was all that?" She asked the stunned three.

 

Morgana was the first to recover. "That is what I would like to know."

 

"If any of you try that again" Sophia threatened as she glared at each of them in turn.

 

"Now see here you little bitch." Morgana interrupted. "You don't get to make any demands here. You're the one sluting around behind Arthur's back."

 

"Watch what you're saying." Sophia warned Morgana, every syllable etched with restrained anger.

 

"Mark my words" Morgana began.

 

"Your word." Sophia interrupted with a small laugh. "Your words mean nothing to Arthur. You even had a picture and he still believed me over you, his own sister. Your words mean nothing." Sophia finished with a smug smile.

 

There was a moment of stillness. A moment, of intense tension, where no one moved. Then, quicker than Merlin could see, Morgana's fist was where Sophia's face had been and Sophia was sprawled on the ground clutching her nose that was pouring blood down her face. Morgana was breathing heavily with anger and it looked as if she was about to launch herself over the table at start pounding the shit out of Sophia.

 

Morgana began to walk around the table toward Sophia. She was walking too calmly, too quite. Her eyes never left Sophia. It was as if the outside world didn't exist. Watching Morgana was like watching a predator about to pounce on its prey.

 

Merlin saw the fury in her eyes and as she past him, he grabbed her arm. As Merlin's hand connected with Morgana, it was like an explosion, Morgana erupted. Morgana started screaming obstinacies at Sophia and Merlin had to physically restrain her. Morgana may have appeared small but when angered she was quite strong. Her outburst only lasted a few minutes but Merlin felt drained as he finally released the now calm, if winded,  Morgana and they left the cafe, Sophia still on the floor.

 

 xxxXxxx

 

Merlin spent the next few days in a state of terror. From the moment he stepped into his dorm, Arthur was glaring at him. Anger and perhaps even hate just radiated of Arthur in waves. He never spoke to Merlin, not once, he didn't yell  at him he didn't punch him again, he didn't need to, his silence spoke volumes. He was not happy with Merlin, not happy at all.

 

Merlin didn't sleep well the first night. The way Arthur had glared at him still sent chills down his spine.  He tossed and turned all night expecting Arthur to burst through the door and beat the crap out off him. Arthur didn't, but the fear of it kept Merlin on edge and unable to sleep.

 

This resulted in him falling asleep in class the next day. He was utterly exhausted, but as soon as he entered the dorm and caught sight of Arthur glaring at him the exhaustion ebbed and a sense of fear crept over him.

 

Merlin did his homework ate some ramen and crawled into bed that night and didn't fall asleep. Every noise became a precursor to some horrible end at the hands of Arthur. Merlin new it was silly but he pushed his small dresser in front of his door. At least Merlin would hear Arthur before he came to stab Merlin in his sleep. Merlin got up moved his dresser and took the knifes out of the kitchen and placed them under his bed and returned the dresser back in front of the door. Merlin finally fell asleep after that. Unfortunately he didn't wake up to his alarm. Why, because he didn't set it the night before. Why, because he had been too afraid of what Arthur might do to him to remember about his alarm.

 

Merlin woke up the next morning fifteen minutes before he had to be in class twenty minutes away. To top it off he still had to move his dresser away from his door. Merlin didn't bother to change out of his sweatpants, he just threw on the first shirt from his dresser, grabbed his bag and maneuvered the furniture away from the door. By the time he had done that he had five munities to get to class. Arthur was leaving and was halfway out the door. Merlin, still in a panic, foolishly called out to "hold the door."  

 

Arthur paused for a moment and then slammed the door behind him and right in front of Merlin's face. To be more accurate Merlin had been sprinting towards the door and had face planted into it . Merlin did however make it to class only fifteen minutes late. The teacher was about to reprimand him for his tardiness when  he caught sight of Merlin's face.

 

"What happened to you?" the professor asked, his face slightly contorted in horror.

 

"I'm so sorry I was late, I forgot to set my alarm." Merlin began.

 

"No, your face?" the professor clarified.

 

"Oh the black eye." Merlin said remembering that he must look like shit.

 

"and your forehead?" the professor asked.

 

"My forehead?" Merlin repeated confused. He raised his hand to his head and winced at the sharp pain as his fingers brushing his forehead. A girl sitting in the front of the class handed Merlin her compact mirror. Merlin looked in and saw a new burse starting to form on his forehead and a small trickle of blood starting to dry under his right nostril.  Merlin was beginning to think that being on Arthurs bad side might actually kill him.

 

Class carried on rather normally except that every time the professor turned to face the class he cringed a little when he saw Merlin. Luckily after class Merlin had work-study at the campus clinic with Giaus.

 

When Gaius first saw Merlin his reaction was much the same as Merlin's professor. He even greeted Merlin with the same expression and "What happened to you?" It was rather comical.

 

Unlike Merlin's professor, Gaius sat Merlin down patched him up, wiggled the details out of Merlin, and feed him lunch before he left Merlin to do some light paperwork as he saw to yet another cold victim. There had been a bug going around campus and Merlin was contemplating steeling one of the guy's many tissues and rubbing it all over Arthur's pillow in an attempt to distract Arthur from the endless glaring. That idea was quickly abandoned when a truly miserable patient snapped at Merlin for bumping into him as he passed. Merlin had failed to take into account that sick people tended to be rather demanding and mean due to their constant pain and suffering. Merlin didn't think that Arthur could get any worse but he would rather not risk it and he threw the tissue away.

 

Merlin made it through his second class with a bandage around his head and a slightly less swollen black eye not that it lessoned his professors reaction. Merlin was beginning to feel like a freak show with the amount of stairs, small gasps of horror, looks of pity, and slit cringes of empathy. After class his professor pulled him aside and asked "What happened to you?"

 

"I had a disagreement with my roommate." Merlin relied with a sigh.

 

"And you two decided to get into a fist fight over it." Professor Nimueh said disapprovingly.

 

"Actually it was only his fist." Merlin said under his breath.

 

Professor Nimueh heard him and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

 

"um." Merlin said a little panicked. He hadn't really meant for her to hear what he said. He didn't really feel conferrable going into the details. Arthur might be an ass but even he didn't deserve to have his dirty laundry aired in public.

 

"You said that he was the only one getting violent." Professor Nimueh continued.

 

"um." Merlin repeated.

 

"say something Emrys." Professor Nimueh demanded.

 

"We got a little drunk and I said some things I shouldn't have and he punched me." Merlin said in a rush, hoping that it was enough information to satisfy Professor Nimueh and allow him to leave.

 

"He beat the crap out of you over a few words, what on earth did you say?"

 

"He didn't beat the crap out of me." Merlin said wondering if he really looked that bad.

 

"You have a black eye and a bandage around your head." Professor Nimueh pointed out

 

"Oh," Merlin remembered. He kept forgetting about his forehead. "The bandage is because I accidentally ran into a door."

 

Professor Nimueh's mouth just dropped open. She had no idea what to say to that and Merlin took the opportunity to bolt out the door.

 

Merlin grabbed a early dinner in the cafeteria and returned to his dorm to realize that he had left that morning without his room key. He knocked on his door. When Arthur opened the door and saw Merlin he slammed it shut in Merlin's face.

 

"oh come on." Merlin shouted in frustration.

 

Merlin could go over to Gwen's for the night but he had to get his computer and write a short essay for the next day, on a story in his literature textbook that was in his room.  There was nothing for it, he would have to get the R.A. to let him in and use his one free lockout for the semester.

 

Merlin walked all the way to the buildings R.A. office to find it locked. It apparently closed at 6pm and since it was already half past Merlin was left with the phone number for the R.A. on call. Merlin dialed the number only to have no one answer. "Seriously" Merlin said to his phone.

 

Merlin went back up to his dorm room door and leaned on the wall to the left of it. He tried the R.A. on duty phone two more times over the next hour and had left a message asking to be let in. Then the door to his dorm room opened and Merlin leapt at his chance. He rushed at the opening and pushed Arthur out of the way and tripped over Arthur's foot and landed sprawling on the floor of the foyer. As he landed he hit his chin causing it to throb painfully and Merlin to let out a agonizing whimper.

 

Arthur paused for a moment jaw open in surprise and then left without so much as a second glance at Merlin. It took Merlin several minutes to get off the floor, he was in so much pain. Then his phone rang and it was an apologetic R.A.

 

"I'm so sorry." the frantic girl was saying. "I couldn't hear my phone in the cafeteria. I'm on my way, just meet me at the office..."

 

"No its fine." Merlin said trying not to groan in pain. His chin was bleeding. "My roommate took care of it."

 

Merlin picked himself off the floor and went into his room and hit his knee painfully on his door. His dresser was still partially in the way and prevented the door from opening fully. He just couldn't catch a break.

 

Merlin did his homework and then some just in case he ended up locked out again. He didn't know how much longer this was going to last. He really needed Sophia to go fuck that guy. 

 

Merlin woke up on time the next morning. He moved his dresser, took a long shower, applied Gaius' bruise balm,  and returned to his room. He grabbed his stuff and was beginning to think that it was going to be a good day when his bare foot connected with one of the kitchen knives that Merlin had hidden under the bed. His blood was dripping from the side of his foot. So maybe today wasn't going to be that good.

 

Merlin met Morgana and Gwen for coffee before class. When they saw him the first words out of their mouths were "What happened to you?"

 

Merlin was really getting tired of hearing that.

 

"I fell into a door," Merlin began as he gestured toward his forehead, "I tripped over Arthurs foot and scraped my chin."

 

"Did he do it on purpose." Morgana asked accusingly.

 

"No I rushed the door when he opened it." Merlin explained.

 

Bothe women stared back at him confused.

 

"I forgot my key and he wouldn't let me in."  Merlin clarified

 

"Why didn't you call the R.A.?" Gwen asked

 

"I did but they didn't pick up until after I got into the room."

 

"And the limp?" Morgana inquired

 

"I accidentally cut my foot on one of the kitchen knives under my bed." Merlin admitted sheepishly.

 

"Merlin what are kitchen knives doing under your bed?" Morgana asked as if she was talking to a misbehaving child or a mentally insane individual.

 

"I may have thought that Arthur might, um, stab me in my sleep." Merlin answered his voice getting higher and his face redder with every word.

 

"I see. " Morgana said with a smile and an attempt not to laugh; a feet that Gwen failed at.

 

Merlin just glared red faced at the two of them.

 

Just then Morgana got a call. It was one of the people she had hired to watch Sophia.  Apparently Sophia was have a morning romp with Valiant before class.

 

"What are we going to do, Arthur's in class?" Merlin asked.

 

"I guess we will just have to pass on this one." Morgana said reluctantly.

 

"No" Merlin whinned. He was living in hell and was wondering if he was going to get out of it alive.

 

"It will be okay." Gwen said with a pat on his arm."Why don't you stay at our dorm tonight?"

 

"Really?" Merlin asked his spirits lifting.

 

"Yeah sure" said Morgana unable to refuse him anything at this point. He just looked so pitiful.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Merlin went to class and was looking forward to his art project. He knew exactly what he wanted to do, so since he had sometime he headed for the woodshop. Merlin raided the scrap pile and found a few pieces that would work. He grabbed a pair of goggles and turned on the table saw. He cut his first piece then went to cut the seconded when he tripped and landed right on top of the table saw. It tore through his shirt but it then sunk into the table as it cut into his flesh.

 

Merlin was panting on the table saw as the machine completely shut down. Fear was griping his entire body. He had almost died. If the table saw hadn't been equipped with a top of the line safety mechanism Merlin would have died.

 

Suddenly hands helped his shaking body of the machine. Merlin looked up into Leon's eyes. He was saying something, but Merlin was having a hard time hearing him.

 

"What?" Merlin asked, his voice a little hoarse.

 

"Merlin are you alright?" Leon repeated slowly.

 

"um," Merlin  said as he ran his hands over himself and noticed his chest was bleeding. "I'm bleeding."

 

"How bad dose it hurt?" Leon asked as someone handed him the shops first aid kit. "it doesn't look that deep."

 

It wasn't that deep at all, but it stung like a bitch. Leon grabbed Merlin's wood and took him to the clinic just to be on the safe side. Gaius' jaw dropped as Merlin limped into the clinic.

 

"What happened to you?"

 

That was the sixth time Merlin had heard that in the last two days. The truth  that Merlin was beginning to think that "I'm Cursed."

 

"Oh come on boy don't be mellow dramatic." Gaius chided him.

 

"He fell on the table saw." Leon answered the original question.

 

Gaius raised and eye brow is surprise or disbelief that Merlin was still alive.

 

"It's not that big of a deal." Merlin said. "The machine has a safety precaution that if it feels flesh it sinks into the table and shuts off."

 

"Still he did fall and he has a cut on his chest." Leon gestured at Merlin's chest. "I was hoping you could take a look, just to make sure he is fine."

 

Gaius looked under the bandage Leon had applied and found that it really wasn't too bad. Merlin might have a scar but he was going to live, for now at least.

 

"Did you hurt your ankle when you fell." Gaius asked. "Your limping."

 

"Ah, no that was from earlier today." Merlin said sheepishly.

 

"What happened?" Gaius asked.

 

There was that pesky question again.

 

"I cut it on a kitchen knife that fell on the floor." Merlin left out the part where it was under his bed.

 

"And your chin?" asked Gaius with a raised eyebrow.

 

"Tripped."

 

"Okay maybe you are cursed." said Leon.

 

Oh Merlin was cursed alright. Arthur's glaring had put the evil eye on him and the only cure was for Sophia to actually shag Valiant where Arthur could see  them.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Merlin hobbled into Gwen and Morgana's dorm that night and didn't return to his own except to grab random forgotten items like his cell phone charger, an assignment sheet, and his jacket. Then on Friday night Morgana got the call.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur had just finished dinner, when someone knocked on the door. Arthur looked through the peep hole. He usually didn't bother but since Merlin had shown up on his doorstep on Tuesday he didn't want to let him in again. He hadn't seen him since he was sprawled on the foyer floor.

 

Arthur opened the door to Leon with a smile, something he didn't seem to do often these days.

 

"Hey Leon whats up?"

 

"Not much just wondering if you wanted to go grab a drink. You seem a little out of sorts these days."

 

"Yeah sure." Arthur said with a sigh. "Your car or mine."

 

"Mine." said Leon. "I have to stop by at another dorm to get something for an assignment."

 

"K" Arthur said as he grabbed his wallet.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur and Leon were standing outside of a green door with the numbers 147.

 

"Are you gunna knock?" Arthur asked with a smile.

 

"No." said an all to familiar female voice from behind them. "We are going to use a key."

 

Morgana rushed past Arthur and inserted the key into the door and swung it wide.

 

Arthurs world stopped. Sophia, his Sophia, was naked and on top of a very naked male. She was moaning and he had his hand clasping her ass.

 

Then the man saw them and yelled out "WHAT THE FUCK."

 

Sophia looked over her shoulder and her face went from flushed with pleasure to pale with horror.

 

"Arthur" she exclaimed as she rolled off the man.

 

"WHAT THE FUCK" the man repeated from the bed with his impressive cock still at full mast.

 

His voice cut through Arthurs stupor and he lunged at the man and began to punch the living daylights out of him, not even registering that the guy was completely naked and rock hard.

 

Leon pulled Arthur off of the man with the snake tattoo and then maneuvered himself in-between them, because the snake guy was now trying to get a swing at Arthur.

 

Then Sophia came into Arthurs view and suddenly all the fight went out off him. She was trying to explain herself and glaring over his shoulder at Merlin who was now helping maneuver Arthur out of the dorm room and into the fresh air. Arthur felt nauseous and was leaning over a bush unsure if he was going to vomit. Merlin put his hand on Arthur's back and was rubbing soothing circles that seemed to steady him.

 

Sophia was still hovering half naked around Arthur begging for him to understand when out of nowhere Morgana's fist collided with her face and she was sent sprawling. Gwen had to help restrain Morgana from going bat shit crazy on Sophia and Leon was still restraining the snake guy. The noise was causing quite a disturbance and people were starting to come out of their dorms. It was erupting into chaos.  

 

Arthur just couldn't take it and he just started walking away.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Merlin looked at Arthur walking away and back at the scene exploding around him. He wanted to fallow Arthur because he knew he shouldn't be alone right now, but at the same time he should stay to help Gwen restrain Morgana or Leon with Valiant. Gwen saw his dilemma and told him to go and Merlin took off after Arthur.

 

Merlin didn't know what to say so he just kept silent and walked beside him.

 

They came upon a group drinking around a few picnic tables and Arthur suddenly veered toward them.

 

"Can I have some?" Arthur asked one of them.

 

"Sure" the guy said and he gave Arthur the bottle of vodka he was holding and turned to get a cup.

 

Arthur didn't need a cup he just took a swig of the stuff.

 

"Not so fast man." another guy said.

 

Arthur took another swig and started to walk away.

 

"Hey man, what the fuck." The first guy exclaimed.

 

Merlin handed the guy a twenty. "Sorry, really bad break up." Merlin apologized.

 

He didn't want to part with his hard earned money, but he didn't know what Arthur would do right now if the man confronted him. Merlin just didn't have the strength to pull Arthur of someone like Leon had.

 

They spent a long time walking around. Arthur kept taking swigs of vodka and at first it didn't seem to  be having any effect, but as they finally made their way back to their dorm, Arthur was having a hard time walking straight.

 

Merlin watched in seemingly slow motion as he stumbled and fell into the dorm pool.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur was numb, so very numb. He didn't know if he was drinking to feel or to prevent himself from feeling anything at all.

 

His world was shifting and starting to wobble a bit. He stumbled a bit. His feet couldn't seem to move like he wanted them to. He stumbled again and then his world shifted and it became very blue. It was kind of nice and he thought it would be nice to stay here for a while and Arthur closed his eyes in the calm weightlessness.

 

xxxXxxx

 

"SHIT!" Merlin exclaimed when Arthur didn't resurface and seemed to be hovering at the bottom of the pool.

 

"SHIT!"  He said again a dove in after Arthur.

 

It took a long time and every ounce of strength Merlin had to get Arthur out of the pool then he realized that he still had to get him up a flight of stairs. Merlin was about to call Leon when he realized...

 

"Shit" He had forgotten to take his phone and wallet out of his pocket when he dove in.

 

Merlin began to drag Arthur to the stairs.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Merlin was breathing heavily when he finally got Arthur into the dorm room an hour later. The ass still hadn't woken up.

 

Merlin stripped off his shirt and grabbed a cool glass of water. He was terribly hot after his intense physical exertion. Arthur on the other hand was ice cold. Merlin really didn't want to do it. He really didn't but he grabbed a towel and began to strip Arthur of his wet clothes and dry him off.

 

Arthur was a well toned golden tanned god. His body was just too perfect, god dam him, and even though Merlin didn't like the guy, he did find him very attractive especially when he was rubbing the towel down his washboard abs.

 

Merlin had dried every square inch of Arthur except under his wet underwear and Merlin just didn't feel comfortable with that. Merlin then realized that Arthur was still on the floor. Merlin looked at the distance between Arthur and his bed and then the distance to the sofa and decided the sofa would be his goal.

 

Merlin maneuvered Arthur in front of the sofa and tried to lift him onto it but the proximity to naked and warm Arthur was messing with him. His face was beat red and he was just to hot, so he grabbed a pillow and put it on the floor under Arthurs golden locks and threw a blanket over him and went to bed.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Arthur woke up the next morning to a pounding headache and the intense need to pee. He lifted himself off the pillow and realized he was on the floor. _What the hell was he doing on the floor?_

 

Arthur slowly and rather groggily made his way to the bathroom. Arthur left the door open, a crack. He didn't turn on the lights because they made his pounding head hurt even worse.

 

Arthur racked his aching brain for the memories of the night before. They were all jumbled and painful. He remembered leaving with Leon and then some other dorm room and drinking from some bottle. Morgana and Merlin were there at some point. God it was so jumbled.

 

Finally Arthur seemed to have things in some order but there was a gap between arriving at the green door and swigs from a vodka bottle. The memory of what was behind the green door kept eluding him. It was vivid and sharp, but it was coming in glimpses that Arthur's brain was having trouble piecing together.

 

It was something to do with Sophia and there was this other guy. There was a fight, and snakes, or a tattoo of snakes and Sophia was naked. Then it all clicked. Sophia had cheated on him. He had hit the guy. Leon had pulled him off. Morgana had hit Sophia and Merlin had comforted him. Oh god he had to apologize to Merlin. Arthur groaned. He was shit at apologizing and he owed Merlin a big one. After all Arthur had punched him in the face.

 

Suddenly the aroma of coffee made its way through the cracked door. Arthur stared at the light. The light hurt but there was coffee in the light. Arthur bit the bullet and opened the door and meandered into the kitchen. Merlin had his back facing Arthur. He was pouring himself a cup of coffee.

 

"Can I have some?" Arthur asked, standing almost directly behind him.

 

Merlin jumped and spilled coffee over the counter and on his shirt.

 

"SHIT!" He yelled as he grabbed a towel to dap at the scalding liquid. "What the hell Arthur?"

 

"Sh, not so loud." Arthur groaned again. Merlin was, it seemed, incapable of being quite when Arthur had a hangover.

 

"Oh. How are you feeling?" Merlin asked as he handed Arthur his cup of coffee and pulled another mug out of the cabinet.

 

"Terrible." Arthur replied as he downed a mouthful of coffee. It burned his throat and caused him to gasp and cough.

 

"I suppose you would be after drinking nearly an entire bottle of vodka. You owe me twenty bucks for that by the way." Merlin replied taking a sip of his coffee. "And maybe a new cell phone."

 

"What?"Arthur had nodded his head at the twenty bucks, but a cell phone.

 

Merlin gestured toward what looked like a tupperware container full of rice with something black breaching the top layer. Arthur lifted the phone partially out of the rice and looked up at Merlin confused.

 

"The rice is supposed to get all the water out and then I'm supposed to try turning it on again.?" Merlin answered the unasked question or at least one of them.

 

"How did it get wet?" Arthur asked.

 

"When I jumped in the pool after..." Merlin paused. "You don't remember, do you?"

 

"I remember some stuff." Arthur responded defensively.

 

"But apparently not drunkenly falling into the pool and failing to swim to the surface."

  
Arthur's jaw dropped and he just stared at Merlin in utter dumbfoundedness.

 

"I did WHAT?" Arthur asked when he finally regained his voice.

 

"You fell into the pool and I had to dive in and fish you out and then I had to drag your sorry as up all those stupid steps." Merlin answered sipping his coffee. "you also might want to get some clothes on."

 

Arthur gave Merlin a confused look. His still addled brain was puzzled about the cloths comment and then he looked down and saw that he was only in his boxers.

 

"What happened to my clothes?" Arthur asked exasperatedly, desperately hoping he didn't do some stupid drunken streaking thing. That would be really embarrassing, not that nearly drowning and having to have Merlin save him wasn't embarrassing enough.

 

"They're in the bathroom with mine, drying." Merlin answered, taking another sip of coffee.

 

Arthur was so relived and then he wondered how he had gotten out of his cloths if he was to out of it to get up the stairs.

 

"Merlin, how did I get out of my clothes?"

 

Merlin's face and tips of his abnormally large ears started turning red.

 

"I, um, took them off." Merlin said not looking at Arthur.

 

Arthur's jaw dropped again. It seemed to be doing that a lot this morning.

 

"WHAT?" Arthur demanded. He was hoping he had heard wrong.

 

"You were all wet and cold and I didn't want you to get sick." Merlin started babbling. "cus you were so awful to me this past week," Arthur felt a little stab of guilt break through his mortified state. "I didn't want to deal with you being sick," Merlin continued to babble. "cus I was lucky to survive this week." Merlin's last word came out in a squeak and he stopped his rambling to take a breath.

 

"I wasn't going to kill you." Arthur said trying to calm Merlin down.

 

Merlin just quirked the eyebrow over his good eye and his expression read "Oh, really"

 

Then Arthur noticed that Merlin did look rather terrible. His face was bussed, his chin scratched and he seemed to be favoring one foot.

 

"You do look a little worse for wear." Arthur commented taking another sip of coffee. "but I'm only responsible for the black eye."

 

"You closed the door in my face." Merlin gestured to his forehead and then to his chin. "You tripped me."

 

"You rushed me." Arthur said trying to defend himself.

 

"You wouldn't let me in."

 

"So what's with the foot." Arthur asked, sure that that couldn't be his fault

 

Merlin blushed a little. "Kitchen knife on the floor."

 

Now it was Arthur's turn to quark and eyebrow. "Where are all the knives." Arthur had wondered where they had disappeared to.

 

"Under my bed." Merlin mumbled.

 

"Why."

 

"Cus I thought you might kill me." Merlin answered sheepishly.

 

"Oh, Merlin you are such a girl." the words were out of his mouth before he remembered that he was supposed to be apologizing to Merlin. He really sucked at apologies.

 

"Just forget it." Merlin stormed off into his room and slammed the door, which caused Arthurs head to pound.

 

Arthur went into his room and pulled on some pants. Before he could put a shirt on someone started pounding on the door, which started his head pounding again.

 

"What." He demanded as he opened the door.

 

"Where is Merlin." Morgana demanded as she stroll past him into the room, Gwen on her heels.

 

"Well come in," Arthur said sarcastically. Gwen gave him a small smile of apology.

 

Merlin came out of his room without his coffee stained shirt on. He had a bandage on his chest, Arthur noticed as Arthur poured himself another cup of coffee.

 

"Hello, Morgana, Gwen" Merlin said with a smile. Arthur frowned.

 

"Merlin, you didn't answer  your phone. We thought ..." Morgana began. "Merlin why is there a bandage on your chest.? Arthur, what did you do?" Morgana whirled around to glare at Arthur.

 

"I didn't do anything." Arthur said exasperatedly. "Why does everyone think I'm going to hurt Merlin?"

 

"Black eye." Morgana said and Arthur conceded she had a point.

 

"So what happened Merlin?" Gwen asked.

 

"I, um, fell on a table saw." Merlin said sheepishly.

 

Arthur coughed and his mouthful of coffee went flying, Morgana and Gwen's jaws reached new lows and Merlin gave a sigh of exasperation.

 

"I'm fine, Gaius fixed me up. It wasn't too deep. The saw sunk into the table as soon as it felt flesh. I'm okay." Merlin tried to reassure them. None of them closed their jaws. Merlin through his arms up in frustration and returned to his room to put a shirt on.

 

"So how are you doing?" Gwen asked Arthur.

 

"I'm," Arthur didn't really know what to say. He hadn't realized it but arguing with Merlin had driven Sophia completely from his mind. "I don't know?"

 

Gwen pated him sympathetically and Morgana finally stopped looking at him disapprovingly.

 

What followed was an awkward moment. Gwen and Morgana didn't really know what to say to comfort Arthur. It was just to soon to start badmouthing Sophia. The wounds were just to raw. Arthur had loved her. It wasn't like, can't live without you kind of loves, you see in movies. He had enjoyed her company. Seeing her bright red hair in the stands had spurred him on to victory every time. He had felt safe and happy with her and she had betrayed him. That was what had hurt the most. Arthur didn't know where to go from this moment.

 

The answer soon arrived in a yelp of pain from Merlin's room. Gwen, Morgana, and Arthur rushed into Merlin's room to find Merlin on the floor by the bed with all the kitchen knives and a bleeding finger. Arthur had to laugh, he couldn't help himself. Merlin was just to clumsy, but Arthur had to admit Merlin had a wonderful way of distracting him.

 

xxxXxxx

 

Somehow after bandaging Merlin's finger the four of them ended up spending the afternoon doing a Disney movie marathon, since Merlin owned all of them including several of the princess movies.

 

They had just finished Mulan and put in Aladdin when the doorbell rang. Arthur, who was getting popcorn, opened the door.

 

"Arthur." Sophia exclaimed. "You must let me explain."

 

Arthur didn't reply he just stood there to shocked to speak. Morgana on the other hand was perfectly capable of speech.

 

"Explain what? That you are a cheating slut." Morgana said as she stormed over to the door.

 

"Arthur please, it was a mistake." Sophia began

 

"No Sophia, It was my mistake.." Arthur said finally finding his voice.  Sophia looked hopeful and the rest hopeless. "I should have dumped you a week ago." and Arthur slammed the door in her face.

 

Arthur was slightly shaking when he returned with Morgana to the couch. Merlin gave him a reassuring squeeze on the arm as he pressed play.


End file.
